A bad week

It's been a terrible week or so for sport. At least I think it has.

Talks between Serie A clubs and the player's association broke down with the real possiblity of an all out strike at the end of the month.

The World cycling authority UCI demanded swift action against triple Tour de France champion Alberto Contador for illegal doping.

After hitting the winning runs for Pakistan in a sensational One Day match against South Africa, unbeknownest to his team, Zulqarnain Haider secretly fled his team's hotel on the eve of the deciding match of the series, travelled by plane to London, sought political asylum and announced his retirement from cricket after receiving death threats for refusing to throw games. It's being reported that he was ordered to "get in line" for the last game of the series and that his family have also been threatened.

Andy Irons, the iconic virtuoso, former world champion, and (arguably without doubt) the greatest surfer most charismatic in history was found dead in his hotel room.

Photo: "Fir0002/Flagstaffotos"

If you think the last week has been dramatic just look back on it in a year's time. Maybe it will be a watershed. Maybe it'll be a turning point. Or maybe not. It has been a crazy week though.

This was the week Johnny Murtagh left Ballydoyle, the most coveted horse racing stable in the world.

This was the week Valentino Rossi, the most successful Moto GP rider of all time, began his greatest challenge ever by testing his new team's Ducati for the first time.

This was the week three time world champion and world number won (before his suspension) John Higgins began his first snooker tournament after being banned for bringing the game into disrepute amid allegations of match fixing claims.

This has been a surprising, tough, nasty week and largely one to forget. But hope springs eternal and you never know, maybe the likes of Murtagh and Rossi will rise our spirits again and we will look back on this week as the spark of a new dawn in sport.

A hurricane hit Ireland on Sunday night. Surfers found a new wave. Things might be looking up already.